Hillbilly Woodstock to Feature Moonshiners and Music

MAGGIE VALLEY — Thousands of bluegrass and country music fans are expected to converge on Maggie Valley this weekend for the fifth annual Hillbilly Woodstock.

Admission costs $6 per day or $10 for both days. The entertainment lineup is comprised of 20 artists, including Joe Lasher Jr., Andy Buckner, SmokeRise, the Ryan Perry Band, Neon Truckers, Pioneer Chicken Stand and headliner Kaitlyn Baker, who recently released her debut single, “Burn,” from an upcoming album on the Silvercreek Records label.

“This is going to be so much fun,” Baker said. “Being from southwestern Virginia, I can relate to the mountain lifestyle and people. I’m really looking forward to being there.”

More than a music festival, Hillbilly Woodstock is both a serious and humorous celebration of Appalachian culture. The event will feature working moonshine stills, arts and crafts, food and special celebrity guests, including Big Juicy from the truTV series “Lizard Lick Towing” and Greg Shook from the TV series “Appalachian Outlaws” on the History Channel.

There will also be several cast members of the Discovery Channel reality series “Moonshiners” such as Mike “Mud Dog” Mitchell, Jim Tom Hedrick, Mark Rogers and Roy Grooms.

“These are real moonshiners who have spent time in jail,” said festival co-founder Becky Ramey, laughing. “They’ll be selling merchandise and signing autographs. They were among our most popular guests last year, and I’m sure this year will be no different.”

Other special guests will also include Shane McCoy and James Hatfield, descendants of the infamous, feuding Hatfields and McCoys, who will perform a lumberjack-themed program. There will also be a car and motorcycle show called “Hillbilly Show ‘n Shine.”

Each of the first 25 “Show ‘n Shine” participants will receive a hand-crafted, copper model of a moonshine still. Hillbilly Woodstock draws fans from around the country, and last year was named “Event of the Year” by the Maggie Valley Chamber of Commerce.

A portion of the proceeds from this year’s Hillbilly Woodstock will benefit the Francis Fund, a nonprofit organization that helps sick and injured animals in Haywood County.

“There’s something for everyone at Hillbilly Woodstock,” Ramey said. “It’s just hillbillies and rednecks sitting around, having fun. If you’re not one when you get here, you will be, by the time you leave!”